Game one of the NLCS was sure entertaining, but didn’t turn out to be the pitching masterpiece that many were expecting or have the happy ending Phillies fans were hoping for. Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum combined to allow seven runs in 14 innings and give up four home runs. San Francisco got a pair of solo shots from Cody Ross and two big hits in a two-run sixth and came out on top, 4-3.

Ross started the scoring with a home run to left center in the top of the third. Ruiz answered with a solo home run of his own in the bottom of the inning, tying the game at 1-1. Ross homered off of Halladay again in the fifth and the Giants led 2-1. With two outs in the sixth and a man on first, it looked like Halladay had struck Pat Burrell out on an 0-2 pitch to set the side down. Halladay didn’t get the call on the close pitch, the inning continued and Burrell blasted an RBI-double to left that was followed by an RBI-single by Juan Uribe. 4-1 San Francisco. Werth got the Phils back within a run in the bottom of the inning with a two-run homer that cut the lead to 4-3. Javier Lopez and Brian Wilson held at the back of the pen, though. Wilson got a four-out save as the pair combined to strike out five in two innings.

He wasn’t the only Phillie who didn’t look good in the game, but if Jimmy Rollins isn’t the only Phillie the team is wondering what they’re going to do about, the list is pretty short. In the second he came up with Howard at second and one out, but popped to second. Werth walked to start the fourth and Rollins struck out behind him. He came up in the sixth after Werth had homered to get the Phils within a run and struck out with the bases empty. Werth singled with two outs in the eighth and the Phils still down a run, but Rollins struck out swinging for his third strikeout of the game to end the inning. He’s 1-for-15 in the post-season now. If the Phils are going to do anything about it, it probably won’t be tonight with Rollins getting a chance to face a lefty.

The Phillies trail the Giants one game to none in the NLCS after losing game one 4-3 last night.

Halladay got the start for the Phillies and went seven innings, allowing four runs on eight hits. Three of the hits went for extra-bases, a double and two home runs. He struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter.

He faced a Giants lineup that went (1) Andres Torres (CF/S) (2) Freddy Sanchez (2B/R) (3) Aubrey Huff (1B/L) (4) Buster Posey (C/R) (5) Pat Burrell (LF/R) (6) Juan Uribe (SS/R) (7) Mike Fontenot (3B/L) (8) Cody Ross (RF/R). Fontenot starts at third with Sandoval on the bench. The righty Ross starts in right with the lefty Schierholtz on the bench.

The Giants had six players on the bench to start the game. Lefties Travis Ishikawa and Nate Schierholtz, switch-hitter Pablo Sandoval and righties Eli Whiteside, Edgar Renteria and Aaron Rowand.

Torres was the first batter of the game and he swung at Halladay’s first pitch and lined to Victorino for the first out. Sanchez got behind 0-2 and flew to Victorino in right center for the second out. Huff ripped a 1-1 pitch foul down the right field line and then chopped a 1-2 pitch to Rollins. Rollins charged, fielded and threw to first to set the Giants down.

Victorino made a nice play on the ball hit by Torres, moving in to field the sinking liner. It looked like a hit off the bat.

Posey led off the second and struck out swinging at a 3-2 fastball for the first out. Burrell struck out waving at a 1-2 pitch that was way outside for the second. Uribe lined the first pitch he saw from Halladay to center where Victorino took it to retire the side.

Fontenot started the third and grounded to Utley on a 1-1 pitch for the first out. Ross was next and lined a 1-1 pitch out to left center, putting San Francisco ahead 1-0. Halladay struck Lincecum out swinging 0-2 at a pitch that nearly hit him on the foot for the second out. Torres struck out swinging 2-2 to set the Giants down.

The game was tied at 1-1 when Halladay started the fourth. Sanchez led off and flew to center on a 3-1 pitch for the first out. Huff was next and ripped a ball past a diving Howard and into right field. Werth made a nice play, getting to the ball quickly to hold Huff to a single. Halladay struck Posey out swinging 1-2 for the second out. Burrell was next and blooped the first pitch he saw into right. It dropped in front of Werth for a single with Huff moving to third. Uribe grounded a 2-2 pitch to Rollins at short and Rollins went to second to force Burrell for the third out.

Two hits for the Giants in the inning. Burrell got some luck, but Huff ripped his hit to right.

Fontenot flew to Victorino on an 0-1 pitch to start the fifth. Halladay moved Ross off the plate with his first pitch, but it didn’t help much. Ross hit a 2-0 pitch out to left for his second home run of the game, putting the Giants up 2-1. Lincecum had a long at-bat, but struck out looking 3-2 for the second out. Torres grounded to second on a 1-0 pitch for the third out.

Cody Ross?

Sanchez grounded to Rollins 2-2 for the first out of the sixth. Huff grounded to second on a 1-1 pitch for the second. Posey lined a single to right, bringing Burrell to the plate with two down and a man on first. Halladay didn’t get the call on an 0-2 pitch that was very close and Burrell hammered his next offering to left. Ibanez couldn’t make the play up against the wall and Posey scored from first to make it 3-1. Schierholtz ran for Burrell at second. Uribe was next and singled back up the middle. Victorino threw home, but wasn’t close to getting Schierholtz and the San Francisco lead was 4-1. Uribe went to second as the throw came home. Fontenot flew to center for the third out.

Huge call on the 0-2 pitch to Burrell, which looked like a strike. Ibanez could have made the play on the ball Burrell hit to left against the wall as well.

The lead had been cut to 4-3 when Halladay started the seventh. Ross led off and grounded to third on a 3-2 pitch for the first out. Lincecum swung at the first pitch and grounded softly to first. Torres lofted a 2-2 pitch down the left field line. It dropped just inside the foul line, but Ibanez got to it quickly to hold Torres to a single. Sanchez struck out swinging 1-2 to leave Torres at first.

Madson started the eighth, even with the lefty Huff leading off for San Francisco. Huff flew softly to left on a 1-2 pitch for the first out. Posey grounded softly to first on the first pitch of his at-bat for the second. Schierholtz, who stayed in the game to play outfield after running for Burrell in the sixth, was next. Madson struck him out swinging for the third out.

Great start to the series for Madson, getting two lefties as he sets the Giants down in order.

Lidge started the ninth by striking out Uribe for the first out. Fontenot lined the first pitch he saw from Lidge into center for a single, bringing Ross to the plate with a man on first. Fontenot stole second as the count went 1-1 on Ross and Lidge walked Ross on a 3-2 pitch that was low. It brought Ishikawa, who had been double-switched into the game in the top of the inning, to the plate with one down and men on first and second. Lidge hit the lefty on the foot and the bases were loaded. Lidge got ahead of Torres 0-2 and struck him out trying to check his swing on a ball in the dirt for the second out. Sanchez flew to center 2-1 to leave the bases loaded.

Huge strikeout for Lidge to get Torres with the bases loaded and one out and keep the Giants off the board. He threw 23 pitches in the game. Madson threw nine.

The Phillies lineup against righty Tim Lincecum went (1) Victorino (2) Polanco (3) Utley (4) Howard (5) Werth (6) Rollins (7) Ibanez (8) Ruiz. Rollins still shouldn’t be hitting ahead of Ibanez and Ibanez shouldn’t be hitting seventh.

The Phillies bench had six offensive players to start the game, lefties Brian Schneider, Ross Gload, and Domonic Brown and righties Ben Francisco, Mike Sweeney and Wilson Valdez. Dobbs lost his spot on the roster to Kendrick and the Phillies had 11 pitchers on the team: starters Halladay, Oswalt, Hamels and Blanton and relievers Lidge, Madson, Kendrick, Durbin, Contreras as well as lefties Romero and Bastardo.

Victorino led off the bottom of the first. He swung at Lincecum’s first pitch and drove it to right center, but Ross tracked it down on the warning track for the first out. Polanco lofted an 0-1 pitch to right-center and Torres took it easily for the second out. Utley got ahead 2-0 and then hit a 2-1 pitch well to left, but Burrell took it at the wall to end the inning.

Victorino and Utley both smoked the ball in the inning, but with nothing to show for it.

Howard hit the ball well to start the second, too, but nobody caught his. He swung at the first pitch and drove it into left center for a double. Werth struck out swinging 1-2 for the first out. Rollins got ahead 2-0, but popped to Sanchez in shallow right 2-2 for the second out. Ibanez got ahead 2-0 as well, but flew to center 2-1 to leave Howard at second.

Nothing for the Phils after the leadoff double by Howard.

They were losing 1-0 when they hit in the bottom of the third. Ruiz led off and hit a 2-0 pitch out to right, tying the game at 1-1. Halladay followed him and singled into left. Lincecum got ahead of Victorino and Victorino hit a 1-2 pitch into a double-play, bringing Polanco to the plate with the bases empty. Polanco got ahead 2-0 and rocketed a double into left. Utley drew a walk on a close 3-1 pitch that was low, putting men on first and second for Howard. Howard swung at a terrible 2-1 pitch that was high and missed. Posey didn’t catch the ball and the runners advanced to second and third. Howard struck out swinging at a 2-2 pitch that was inside to leave both men stranded.

Werth started the fourth and took four straight balls to draw a leadoff walk. Rollins struck out swinging 2-2 for the first out. Ibanez hit a 1-1 pitch to second. It was almost a double-play, but Ibanez beat the relay to first with the help of a nice takeout slide from Werth to keep it alive for Ruiz with two outs and a man on first. Ruiz hit an 0-2 pitch slowly to short and Uribe made a nice play to field and throw to first in time to get Ruiz.

I’m pretty sure I’m not the only Phillies fan who was wondering if Rollins should have been bunting after the leadoff walk by Werth. I don’t think he should have, but it couldn’t have worked out a lot worse than it did.

The Phils were down 2-1 when they hit in the fifth. Halladay led off and struck out swinging at a high 2-2 pitch out of strike zone. Victorino popped a 1-1 pitch up to Sanchez in foul territory. Polanco got ahead in the count, but lined a 2-0 pitch to center to end the inning.

It was 4-1 when the Phillies hit in the sixth. Ross had moved to left with Schierholtz in right. Utley led off and hit a 1-1 pitch back through the middle. It went off the heel of Lincecum’s glove. Uribe got to the ball, but had trouble getting it out of his glove and Utley beat the throw to first for an infield single. Howard struck out swinging 0-2 for the first out. Werth was next and he hit a 2-2 pitch just out to right center, cutting the lead to 4-3. Rollins struck out again, this time trying to check his swing 1-2, for the second out. Ibanez was next and walked on a 3-2 pitch that was in the dirt. Ruiz struck out swinging 2-2 to leave Ibanez at first.

The Phils surely would have hit for Halladay if Ruiz had reached base. Instead, Halladay threw a scoreless seventh and Brown hit for him with the Phils still down a run to start the bottom of the seventh. Lincecum got him to ground to short on a 1-2 pitch for the first out. Victorino struck out trying to check his swing 0-2 for the second out. Polanco grounded to short 1-2 to end the inning.

Lefty Javier Lopez was on to face Utley to start the eighth. Utley got behind 0-2 and grounded to second for the first out. Howard struck out swinging 2-2 for the second out. The Giants brought in closer Brian Wilson to pitch to the righty Werth, double-switching Ishikawa into the game and putting Huff on the bench. Werth singled into center on a 2-0 pitch. Rollins struck out swinging 3-2 to leave Werth at first.

Ibanez started the ninth with Wilson still on the mound for the Giants and the Phils still down a run. Ibanez took a 2-2 pitch that was very close but called outside, then struck out looking 3-2 for the first out. Ruiz was hit by a 1-1 pitch that was up and in and Gload hit for Lidge. Gload hit a 2-1 pitch hard down the first base line, but foul. He struck out swinging 2-2 for the second out. Valdez ran for Ruiz at first and Victorino came to the plate as the last hope for the Phils. Victorino struck out swinging 3-2 to end the game.

Victorino was 0-for-5 and struck out twice.

Polanco 1-for-4 with a double.

Utley 1-for-3 with a walk.

Howard was 1-for-4 with a double and three strikeouts.

Werth 2-for-3 with a walk, a home run and two RBI.

Rollins 0-for-4 and struck out three times.

Ibanez 0-for-3 with a walk.

Ruiz 1-for-3 with a home run.

Roy Oswalt (13-13, 2.76) will face lefty Jonathan Sanchez (13-9, 3.07) in game two. Sanchez went 4-1 with a 1.03 ERA and a 1.01 ratio in his last seven starts of the regular season. You’re not going to get a hit off of him, he allowed just 142 in 193 1/3 innings on the seasons and opponents hit .204 against him, but he does walk a lot of hitters. He led the NL this season with 96 walks. He was eighth in the league with 205 strikeouts. Sanchez faced the Phils twice this season, holding them to a run over five innings on April 26 and dominating them on August 19, holding them to a run on two hits over eight innings. Victorino is 6-for-15 (.400) against him for his career with a double. Howard 3-for-14 with two doubles and a triple. Utley 3-for-11 with a double and a home run. Polanco 3-for-9 with three singles. Ruiz 1-for-9 with a single and three walks. Rollins 1-for-16 with a double. Werth 0-for-12 with six strikeouts. Ibanez 0-for-6.

Oswalt didn’t pitch well in game two of the NLDS against the Reds, but threw to a 1.41 ERA over his last 12 appearances to end the regular season. He made four starts against the Giants this season, three while he was with the Astros and one with the Phillies, going 1-3 with a 3.33 ERA and a 1.04 ratio. Freddy Sanchez is the Giant who has seen him the most for his career, going 11-for-36 (.305) with five doubles. Huff 3-for-12 with three singles. Uribe 6-for-16 with a homer. Fontenot 5-for-21 with a double. Sandoval 2-for-9. Burrell 4-for-18 with a home run. Torres 2-for-10 with two doubles. Ross 2-for-9 with a double. Posey 2-for-3.